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Tuesday, 11 December 2012

BARC takes control of Renault Clio Cup

The Fantastic Clio Cup is now shod by Dunlop and run by BTCC organisers BARC

Renault
UK is delighted to announce the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC)
has been appointed the new promoter of the Renault UK Clio Cup for
2013 with Simon North making a return to the role of Championship
Manager.

The
Thruxton-based BARC takes the helm of the popular Dunlop MSA British
Touring Car Championship support category, as preparations for the
2013 season get well underway.

An
eight-weekend, 16-race calendar for next season is confirmed with the
Renault UK Clio Cup running alongside the BTCC at each of its events,
with the exception of the trip north of the border to Knockhill in
late August and the visit to Silverstone at the end of September.

Therefore,
this means the 2013 Renault UK Clio Cup season will commence at
Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on 30th/31st
March before travelling to Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park,
Croft, Snetterton and Rockingham, prior to the return to Brands Hatch
– this time on the full Grand Prix Circuit – for the grand finale
over the weekend 12th/13th
October.

Also
new for next season will be the arrival of Dunlop as the official
tyre partner for Clio Cup, the start of a multi-year agreement which
brings the championship even more in-line with the BTCC.

With
everything in place to ensure a smooth 2013, prior to the arrival of
the brand new Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo race car the following
year, Renault UK has high hopes for a classic swansong season for the
existing third generation Clio Cup car.

“We’re
absolutely delighted to have agreed for BARC to become the promoter
of the Renault UK Clio Cup, and for Simon North to return as the
Championship Manager”, said Renault UK Communications Director
Jeremy Townsend, “We’re also looking forward to working with our
new official tyre supplier Dunlop and, of course, continuing to be
part of the BTCC package.”

“It
was of paramount importance for Clio Cup to be entrusted to a safe
pair of hands and with BARC’s stewardship and Simon’s experience
we certainly have that. Renault UK is proud to have a long-standing
relationship with BARC, so we’re now looking forward to an
excellent season to set the scene perfectly for the arrival of the
new Clio Cup to the UK in 2014.”

On
behalf of the BARC, Ian Watson – who takes a lead role heading up
the organisational team behind the Renault UK Clio Cup – commented:
“I speak for everyone at BARC when I say how delighted we all are
to be the new promoters of the Renault UK Clio Cup, especially with
the long and successful partnership we’ve enjoyed with Renault over
the years.

“Clio
Cup has always been a fantastically well supported championship, a
true crown jewel for the BARC, and we’re looking forward to working
hand-in-hand with Simon and Renault UK to help the series thrive.”

Simon
North, who was previously the Championship Manager of the Renault UK
Clio Cup between 1992 and 2011 and who is also the current promoter
of the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, is relishing the
opportunity to work once again with the ultra-professional Clio Cup
teams and, of course, Renault UK itself.

“It’s
a privilege to have been welcomed back into the Renault UK Clio Cup
family and to have been entrusted with the role of Championship
Manager once again”, he said, “I’m very much looking forward to
working with all of the excellent teams in the Clio Cup paddock and,
it goes without saying, to working closely and efficiently with
Renault UK and the BARC.”

Teams
warmly welcome arrival of BARC and Dunlop

Leading
teams from the Renault UK Clio Cup have warmly welcomed the
announcement regarding the new custodians of the championship, and
also the arrival of Dunlop which is set to bring fresh impetus to the
one-make saloon car category.

“This
is great news, I’m really looking forward to 2013 and having both
BARC and Simon [North] looking after the Clio Cup”, said Mark Hunt,
principal of 2012 Driver and Entrants’ championship winners Team
Pyro, “You don’t realise what you’ve got until you’ve lost
something, having Simon back as Championship Manager is really good
for everyone.

“BARC
is all about racing 100 percent, they understand what’s needed and
how to make championships like Clio Cup work and be a success –
especially in such tough economic times. They’re used to working
from grass roots all the way up to the BTCC itself so they have the
experience. With Dunlop coming in as well, it’s giving it a whole
new lease of life.”

Renault
UK Clio Cup stalwart Colin Stancombe, inimitable figurehead at
Stancombe Vehicle Engineering, commented: “I’m delighted to see a
professional organisation, and thoroughly professional people, back
in control of Clio Cup – it’s precisely what the championship
needs after a difficult year in 2012.

“With
the knowledge and experience offered by BARC and Simon, and the
support which BARC will give, the championship can’t fail to
succeed. It’ll make such a difference to all of the teams and
drivers to have people who really care about Clio Cup looking after
it again.”

Lee
Brookes, team principal of multiple title winning squad Total Control
Racing, added: “It really is good news for the teams and the
championship as a whole to have Simon back in charge with BARC –
it’s back to the old days when everything ran smoothly. With BARC
there to help, and people like Ian Watson behind the championship 100
percent, it’s great.

“It’s
great to have a clear direction for Clio Cup now, that’s what we’ve
needed, and with Dunlop coming in I know they’ll provide a good
tyre. I used to race on them myself in touring cars, and won a
championship on them, so I’ve got no worries there. It’s all good
news.”